Orioles Sign Free Agent Pitcher Johan Santana To Minor League Contract
BALTIMORE (WJZ/BALTIMORE ORIOLES)--The Orioles have signed free agent left hand pitcher Johan Santana to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Santana, 34, is a two-time Cy Young Award winner (2004 and 2006), a four-time All-Star (2005-2007 and 2009) and a Gold Glove winner (2007).
Santana is 139-78 with a 3.20 ERA (2025.2IP, 721ER) in 360 career games (284 starts) with the Twins and Mets since making his debut in 2000. In a seven-season span from 2004 to 2010, he made at least 25 starts and posted an ERA of 3.33 or lower in each season, including five seasons with 29 or more starts and a sub-3.00 ERA. In that time, Santana led the majors in ERA (2.87) and strikeouts (1479), tied for second in wins (110), and ranked fourth in innings pitched (1512.1), finishing in the top-5 in Cy Young voting five times (two wins, two third place finishes and a fifth place finish).
On June 1, 2012 against St. Louis, he threw the first no-hitter in New York Mets history (5BB, 8K). Santana did not pitch in 2011 or 2013 due to a tear in the anterior capsule in his pitching shoulder.
In five career playoff starts from 2003 to 2006, Santana has posted a 2.93 ERA (27.2IP, 9ER). He has also made three scoreless All-Star Game appearances (3.0IP, H, 2BB, 3K; 2005-'207). He is the second-winningest Venezuelan-born pitcher in baseball history behind Freddy Garcia (156) and 12 strikeouts shy of 2,000 for his career.
Originally signed by the Houston Astros as an amateur free agent, July 2, 1995, Santana was acquired by Minnesota via Florida at the 1999 Rule 5 Draft. He will wear #57.